The Bookdate, Volume Two

Hello, Happy Monday and welcome back to another edition (book puns ftw) of The Bookdate. An intimate insight into the inner workings of my book reading habits. Serial readers, essay lovers, you are safe here. There's also four books I'd love to acquire sometime soon, a book club update and a blog+bookstagram to add to your literary loving lives...

Book Club: For March+April we assigned two books for Sophie's Book Club. What, you haven't heard of it? I thought it was at Oprah status. I jest. Truth be told I have only finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. What it has done is make me want to read everything she has ever written and also left me thinking about it in the days and weeks since completing it. It was written during one of the most tumultuous years of Didion's life, seeing with it the loss of her husband and adoptive daughter. It covers the full spectrum of coming to terms with grief, loss and the small moments that make up the relationships and memories we formulate as a result. It's not the easiest book to read but it is rewarding and is worth persevering with. I'm handing my copy along to my cousin in the hope she finds it equally as mesmerising.

The Oosterbook: Full disclosure aside: I have known Laura since high school and we shared literature recommendations, her to me mainly, and discussed our love of niche publications. Regardless, I think I would still love her recommendations and writing. She has a bookish blog and also contributes musings on what she reads on many a corner of the interwebs+over on her Instagram. She shares my habit of dipping in and out of books and classifies herself as a book club slut. Same tbh. If you like books and carefully formulated words, go give her a follow.

Recently Read: / My Not So Perfect Life* by Sophie Kinsella. A novel that at its simplest is about a twenty-something trying to find her place in the world. Its complexities look at the social constructions and curated digital footprints we tend to gravitate towards. Kinsella laces it with her usual charm and wit. The book is laugh out loud funny in many ways. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did but I loved it and spent many a late night reading it. That's what coffee in the morning was established for, right? / I'll Tell You in Person by Chloe Caldwell. A book I spied on Emma Roberts's Instagram and promptly ordered from the library. Caldwell's writing is delicious and delectable, for lack of better words. Her essays, Sisterless and The Girls Of My Youth have left particularly lasting impressions. The whole collection is worth exploring though. She has another book coming out this year and I am keeping watch for details about it. / The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. This small tome was found after googling 'books to read if you love The Crown'. It was that or rewatch the entire series again for a third time, which let's be honest, seems inevitable. It explores the idea of The Queen busying herself with reading from a traveling library that visits Buckingham Palace. She requests literature to read, particularly classics and finds friendship and comfort in the pages of her books. Her advisors however disapprove and don't like to see her become knowledgeable. Ridiculous as it may seem, this idea does crop up in The Crown to some extent so it is somewhat believable. This book is short but brilliant and I loved it.

The Wishlist: / The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I've picked up this book countless times in many independent bookshops and literally just requested it from the library. Its haunting, dark plot is what is keeping me away I think. In some ways, this is how I felt with Didion's book and the confronting nature of grief, never mind a whole book about it. It does keep drawing me in though so I'm sure it will be impressionable, just like Didion's was. / Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett. One of my favourite reads of last year was The Versions of Us, also by Barnett. Her new novel, out in May is about a musician who retreats into herself in the 1970's. Cass's story is told through music and looks at what it means to make mistakes and be accepting of them in retrospect. / How to be a Grown Up by Daisy Buchanan. After seeing some of my favourite internet babes, namely Liv and Rosalind singing its praises, my interest was established. A tongue in cheek, Moran-esque guide to adulting and realising you're doing okay is what can be found within its pages. I feel like some of the twenties, although I am only entering the halfway point now, is spent feeling inadequate and unaccomplished. Comforting words and realising we all don't really know what we're doing is always reassuring in my books, literal and metaphorical. / One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul. A collection of debut essays by an Indian Immigrant's daughter. It explores 'sexism, stereotypes and the universal miseries of life'. The title might be dire but I'm sure the words inside will be anything but.

That concludes another round of the bookdate. Next month I'll have some new book club reads for you all and no doubt another wishlist. This week I'm on a little mini-cation and it's just what the doctor (me) ordered. So far that is consisting of walks, coffee, Easter chocolate, a quiet desk area and probably way too many books. I'm a chronic over-packer when it comes to reading material. While I'm here, I did a guest post for Grace's blog with some book recommendations. They span high school, the great outdoors, fashion, feminism and child stardom. Go give it a browse and check out her inspiring blog. She's a talented writer. I'll see you all later in the week with a beauty post. MAC lovers, you will appreciate it! x